Guarding His Melody

by Victoria Sue

  Gray held it in his fingers. “It wasn’t on hands-free, and I had it next to my ear. There is no way anyone would have been able to hear Danny’s side of the conversation.”

  “He said he wanted her to be happy,” Seb insisted.

  Gray released Seb’s arm and walked to the couch. He sat down, his brain running at what felt like a million miles an hour.

  After a second, Seb followed him. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” Gray was definite. “Seb, have you ever had your hearing tested? I mean with the headphones?”

  Seb shook his head. “You’re only the second person who knows I can hear with them.”

  “Second?”

  “Yeah, Arron, in pretty much the exact same way that you found out.”

  Gray’s heart sank for some reason he didn’t want to put a name to.

  “He’d gone downstairs to get some food,” Seb continued. “I had the headphones on, and his phone rang. He’d left it on the couch. When he came back, I told him he had a missed call. I realized my mistake and said the screen had lit up. I saw him walk to the phone, and he looked at me oddly, then said I was lying because he had his screen wakeup turned off for notifications. He said he was a light sleeper and it woke him up otherwise.” Seb huffed. “I confessed sort of, begged him not to tell my dad, and he never did. He knew about it for three years, but he never came in here as much as you do, so it was never an issue, and we didn’t talk about it.”

  “Didn’t talk about it?” Gray exclaimed in disbelief.

  Seb shook his head. “I lied and said it was linked to the vibrations, which he couldn’t argue with because his phone did vibrate if he got a call. It made sense because of the research my dad was doing, so he didn’t question it. He never knew I actually heard the ringtone.”

  “Seb, this is huge.” Gray stared into Seb’s luminous green eyes, full of worry, full of fear. He tried to gentle his voice. “You do get that, don’t you?”

  “What I get is this is another way for people to think I’m weird.”

  Gray shook his head. “This isn’t just about hearing things despite you being deaf. This is being able to hear things most people would never be able to in the first place.” He clasped Seb’s hand harder. “Seb, this is such a gift.”

  “A… a gift? What do you think it means?”

  Gray didn’t have the first clue. “We need to talk with someone.”

  “No.” Seb grabbed Gray’s arm. “Please.”

  Gray studied Seb’s face, which had gone from flushed to white. The thought of telling anyone was freaking him the fuck out.

  “That’s your decision, and I respect that.”

  “And you won’t tell my dad even though you work for him?

  “Definitely not.” He wasn’t saying anything. “Don’t worry. What you choose to say or do, providing it doesn’t impact on your safety, has nothing to do with me.”

  But he was damn sure it put things in a different light if anyone found out. He was sure there would be a lot of companies very interested in Seb’s ability. The thought of what he might be able to hear blew Gray’s mind. Seb had just gone from a rich boy who might be kidnapped for money, to a gifted one who someone might just want to take and never give back.

  Chapter Nine

  “YOU COULD always work for me.” Wasn’t there some sort of client-confidentiality thing so Gray would be unable to tell anyone? Seb looked down at Gray’s arm. He was clutching Gray tight, but Gray didn’t even seem to mind. He ought to let go, but his fingers didn’t want to obey. He took another shaky breath.

  “Hey.” Gray’s stare caught his own. “Let’s take a breath. Come on.” And Gray pulled a lungful of oxygen in.

  Seb copied before he even questioned it.

  “How do you do that?” Seb asked after a few breaths, feeling calmer.

  “I had a lot of things to work through after I got back. Breathing is a simple way to focus your energy.”

  Seb yawned and covered his mouth. Gray’s eyes seemed to soften. He always looked calm but as if he disciplined himself to be, more than just relaxed. Maybe the breathing had helped him too.

  “How about we both get some sleep?” Gray suggested.

  Seb nodded. He was tired. Gray moved and seemed to realize Seb was holding on to his arm. He let go, and Gray stood up. “Derwent told me downstairs you have this therapy tomorrow?”

  Crap. He’d forgotten. “It’s not so much therapy as testing.”

  “For what and by whom?” Gray asked sharply.

  “I have to go to the clinic. They play sounds to me, some music with vibration. It’s supposed to stimulate the nerve endings to encourage regrowth.” He hated it.

  “You don’t sound a fan?”

  “It aggravates my vertigo, and it’s really high-pitched.” Which had to be the understatement of the year, but he could always hope.

  “You hear sounds?”

  Seb shrugged. “But not talking. More of a high-pitched squealing. Will we go outside again in the morning?” He’d enjoyed it today.

  “Yep,” Gray agreed. “I’m going to the bathroom. Please don’t lock your bedroom door.”

  “But I can call you.”

  “You can,” he agreed, “but while we figure things out, I need to be able to get to you. What if you get sick?”

  He’d had this argument countless times with his dad about the locked doors, but in the end, his dad had relented because Seb was incapable of going to sleep unless he knew his door was locked.

  “I won’t sleep,” Seb admitted.

  “That’s simply because you don’t feel safe,” Gray countered. “Most people can’t sleep if they feel threatened.”

  “I wonder why I’ve never heard people talk downstairs. Danny was much farther away.”

  “But the phone wasn’t,” Gray pointed out. “I doubt if you noticed because this room is so far back from everyone else, and usually you’re playing the piano or singing.”

  Seb flushed. Crap, he’d forgotten Gray had heard him sing.

  “You’re really good, by the way.”

  He flushed deeper.

  “The song was yours?”

  He nodded. Another dream that would never happen. He sighed and mumbled good night. He wouldn’t sleep, though.

  An hour later he was still awake and trying to do the deep breathing exercises he’d done with Gray, but the thoughts in his brain wouldn’t shut up. If he told his dad, maybe he could get hearing aids fitted that copied what he used on the piano. The thought startled him so much he sat up, knocking the book he had been attempting to read onto the floor. Seb held his breath and counted to five before his door opened. He always kept his small lamp on, so he could see Gray in the door. Gray scanned the room, and then tucked a gun back into his waistband. Gray focused on him. “You’re okay?”

  “I can’t sleep,” Seb squeaked out. “You’ve got a gun,” he added, wondering why that should seem strange when he was used to seeing Derwent armed to the teeth. There was no threat of violence with Gray, though. The gun was a simply a tool, not a statement.

  “Of course,” Gray replied and bent to pick up the book from the floor and laid it gently on his side table.

  Of course.

  Gray scanned the room a second time and took in the covers, which were all screwed-up. Seb rubbed his forehead. He needed to calm down, or he would get a migraine.

  “Head hurt?” Gray sat down on the bed, and Seb glanced away from the vision that was his bodyguard. Huge muscles made Gray’s T-shirt stretch across his chest. Seb licked his lips.

  Gray touched his arm. “What is it?”

  Seb felt pathetic. “Just can’t sleep.”

  “Does your head hurt?”

  “Not yet,” Seb said ruefully and rolled his shoulders, trying to ease them.

  “Is this because your door is unlocked?”

  If he was being honest, Seb didn’t think so. “I think it’s because I have so much going on in my head.” He tried to jo
ke. “Any chance you could get that massage lady to make a home visit?”

  Gray opened his mouth, then hesitated.

  “I was joking,” Seb said hurriedly. For a second, Gray looked like he was going to take the request seriously.

  “I can do it.”

  Seb focused on Gray’s lips, not sure if he’d read him correctly.

  “I can’t do intensive cranial massage, and I would never attempt to, but I picked up a few tips from seeing so many therapists.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not being weird.” He stood up and went to take a step back, obviously regretting his offer.

  “No,” Seb croaked out. “I didn’t think you were. I was just—” Seb struggled to come up with an acceptable word. “—surprised.”

  “Gemma showed me a simple thing to help Danny. His panic attacks were worse than anything I’ve ever seen. First time I saw it, we both thought he was having a heart attack.” He looked at his hands. “Head massage relaxes the neck and shoulders.” Gray shook his head in apparent disbelief. “I can’t believe you’ve never gone through any of this with your doctors.”

  “My doctors were only ever interested in science stuff, I guess.”

  Gray smiled. “Well, tell the doubters that head massage has been proven to change actual biochemistry. There’s gotta be a million research papers on this.”

  “You sure you don’t mind? I don’t want to be weird either.” And that clinched it. He was never telling Gray he was gay—ever. There was no way Gray was anything but straight, and suddenly more than anything, Seb wanted a friend. He wanted someone he could trust. He wanted someone just for him and that had nothing to do with sex. He dipped his head as his eyes stung a little.

  Gray looked around and pulled over the small wheeled office chair Seb had that he generally used to dump clothes on. Gray tossed the jacket onto the bed and grabbed a pillow. “I want you to sit astride and facing away from me.”

  Seb did as he was told, and Gray touched his arm to get Seb to look at him. “I’m going to balance the pillow over the back of the chair, and I want you to hug it and use it to rest your forehead against. If you don’t like anything or it hurts, just tell me.”

  Seb nodded and then stilled as Gray dragged the throw he had from the bottom of the bed and wrapped it around Seb’s waist and legs. Seb was warmer, less exposed. Not that the fleece shorts and T-shirt he slept in didn’t cover most of him anyway, but he was more relaxed. He tried not to jump when Gray’s fingers settled on his neck and moved upward slowly through his hair. Every few inches, Gray stopped and pressed in lightly with his fingertips.

  “Oh God,” Seb mouthed, unable to stop himself. There wasn’t one bit of Seb’s scalp, neck, and shoulders that Gray didn’t touch. Such steady hands. Gray’s fingers glided over his neck and seemed to find every knotted muscle, every pressure point. After a while Seb was floating. In fact, he wasn’t completely certain he didn’t actually fall asleep for a few minutes. He yawned again and mumbled something he didn’t even know. Gray stopped and put his hands on Seb’s shoulders, squeezed a little to show he wanted him to stand. Seb stumbled to the bed, still in some sort of haze. Not bothering to open his eyes, he just let Gray cover him up. He didn’t remember anything else.

  GRAY WAS awake the second Seb shook his shoulder, and he vaulted upright, reaching for his gun.

  “Sorry, sorry. I thought we were going to the garden.” Seb backed away, hands half-raised, eyes wide.

  Gray cursed. “No, I’m sorry,” He tucked his gun away, eyeing Seb, who was trembling. “It’s an instinctual thing when I’m working.” The lie came easily, but it made Seb relax and drop his arms. Gray picked up his phone to check the time and raised his eyebrows—zero seven hundred wow—he must have crashed. He eyed Seb approvingly. Seb had dressed in the sweats he had used yesterday and already had his sneakers on. “Give me five minutes.” Gray grabbed his dopp kit and some clothes from where he’d had them folded in his bag so he didn’t have to bother with the other room, and hurried to the bedroom door. He felt a hand on his shoulder before he got there.

  “Use mine,” Seb offered, and Gray changed direction. When he came back out, Seb was waiting for him, still looking eager. Downstairs, Mrs. Pickering was already in the kitchen and beamed at them both as they headed outside.

  “Copy me.” Gray paused when they got to the decking and checked it wasn’t slippery. The grass was too wet because of last night’s rain. Gray glanced upward at the muggy sky. It wouldn’t surprise him to see it snow, rare as it was here. He closed his eyes, found his exercise space, and breathed. He opened them a couple of times in the next twenty minutes or so to check on Seb, but the man was doing fine. The last time Gray opened his eyes, he watched as Seb went through the movements on his own. His eyes were closed, and he was… graceful, peaceful.

  And completely off-limits.

  It was no good. It couldn’t happen, period. He hadn’t had any sort of relationship since college…. No scratch that, he hadn’t had a relationship ever. Fucking the same guy because choices were limited both at college and then in the Rangers didn’t constitute a relationship. And now? He was here to protect Seb. That was all.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement from one of the ground-floor windows. Armitage’s office? The blind moved again, but Gray couldn’t see who was there. Gray stepped forward, touching Seb on the shoulder to stop him.

  Seb opened his eyes as he came to a standstill and his lips curved in a smile, soft breaths cloudy in the morning light. Gray felt his body tightening and did his best to ignore it. “Breakfast,” he decreed to get his mind on another topic.

  Seb shook his head. “Not today.”

  “Why?” Gray was prepared for an argument.

  Seb paused with his hand on the kitchen door. “Because the less I eat, the less sick I may be later.”

  What? That was completely nuts. Gray followed Seb into the kitchen and watched him hug Mrs. Pickering, who fussed for a few seconds when he turned down her offer of breakfast as well.

  “I’m going in the shower.” He left the kitchen.

  Gray waited until the door was closed. “How often does he do that?”

  She clucked disapprovingly. “Too often, and I have no idea what to do to tempt him. I’d make anything,” she added, worry creasing her face.

  “Do you mind if I make a smoothie?” Gray asked, and at the wave of her hand, he started pulling ingredients out of the fridge.

  “I got the things you asked for,” she confirmed and watched with interest as he blended greek yogurt, strawberries, orange juice, and coconut milk. He added the protein and acai powder she had gotten off his list.

  “Cinnamon?”

  Gray smiled, opening the jar. “Just a little. Helps with inflammation. I have a nutritionist friend who’s going to come and see Seb, but he swears by Ceylon cinnamon. It’s good for people who aren’t eating well.”

  “I was taught to offer bland foods when people are sick, but seeing all this, I’m not so sure.”

  Gray poured the contents of the blender into two glasses. “Yeah, a lot of people think that, but my friend specializes in diets for people undergoing chemotherapy. He insists on going the opposite way.”

  Mrs. Pickering took the empty blender from him before he had a chance to rinse it. She shooed him. “Go on, you take that for Seb, and let me know if you need anything else.”

  Gray let himself in the room just as the shower stopped. He waited a few seconds and then cautiously opened the bedroom door. The bathroom door was shut, and Gray put the smoothie down on the small table where Seb would see it when he was done. He closed the door behind him and let himself out of the main room, taking his own smoothie with him. He needed a shave and a shower.

  He acknowledged ruefully he might need to go get laid sometime soon if his body was reacting to Seb. His very young, very vulnerable, very off-limits client. Not that Gray was going anywhere anytime soon. He had a job to do first.

  Chapter Ten
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  THE CLINIC was small. Derwent had offered to drive them, but Gray knew Marietta like the back of his hand. He had been startled when Derwent showed him a choice of car from a limo in the garage to the smart Hummer parked next to it. Seb followed him out the door, ignoring Derwent.

  “Do you mind if we go in mine?” Seb’s eyes lit up briefly, and he tossed Gray the keys. He walked to the passenger side of the black Mustang in front of the house, and Gray was thankful he hadn’t blurted out anything about Seb driving. He knew Seb didn’t have a license, because it would have been included in his original file, and he assumed the vertigo attacks prevented Seb from driving.

  “I’m not allowed. Doctors.” Seb shrugged, his enthusiasm obviously dimmed.

  That answers that.

  Seb hadn’t talked much on the drive over. In fact, apart from thanking Gray for the smoothie—he’d drunk it all—he hadn’t really said anything. He’d gotten on his computer straight after breakfast and then translated some documents. Gray spent some time reading. Derwent had taken Armitage out, and the house had been quiet.

  Seb had absolutely refused any lunch, and Gray hadn’t pushed him.

  The address wasn’t near any hospitals or medical buildings, though. If anything, it seemed to be in a warehouse area, which seemed odd.

  Or maybe not. Enhanced. Even though there was a mandatory order of care, it didn’t mean people had to like it, and there was no way Seb would want to walk through the front entrance.

  “How long have you been coming here?” Gray stared at the plain office block. They were only one of four cars parked in front of the large building.

  “Two and a half years.” Seb’s answer was automatic. He’d briefly looked at Gray when Gray had tapped his shoulder for attention but turned back to the window and opened the door, preventing further discussion. Gray studied Seb’s blank face. It was as if he was on autopilot. Gray didn’t like anything about what was happening so far. He snagged Seb’s arm just as they got to the door.

  “I want to be present in there with you at all times. Insist upon it.”